Cardinal Baronius his Grave Censure and Reproof of the Forgeries: His fear that they will prove destructive and pernicious to the See of Rome.

Apiarius, a Priest of the Church of Africa, being Excommunicated by his Ordinary, for several notorious crimes, flies to Rome for Sanctuary; Zozimus the Bishop receives him kindly, gives him the Communion, and sends Orders to see him restored. Hereupon the African Churches convene a Council, namely, the sixth Council of Carthage, whence they send a modest Letter, but as Sincere as Powerful, shewing how after all shifts and Evasions, Apiarius had confessed his Enormities; and that both the Nicene Council, and clear Reason, was against the disorder of such Appeals: All Causes being to be determined in the Province where they arose, by a Bishop, Patriarch, or Council, upon the place. Otherwise, say they, how can this Beyond-Sea Judgment be firm, where the necessary appearance of Witnesses cannot be made, either by reason of weakness of Nature, or Old Age, or many other Impediments? They decry the Innovation of the Bishop of Rome in arrogating that Authority, lest the smoakie Puff of the pride of this World should be brought into the Church of Christ. This Epistle is on all sides owned and confessed to be a good Record. It was sent to Celestine the Successor of Zozimus and Boniface.

About 100 years after, Eulabius sate in the Chair at Alexandria, (some call him Eulalius:) Between him and Boniface 2. there are two Epistles extant, out of which it is gathered, that after the sixth Council of Carthage, the African Churches were Excommunicated by the Roman for 100 years, and reconciled at last upon the Submission of Eulalius, Archbishop of Carthage, accursing S. Augustine, and his own Predecessors.

Concerning these two Epistles, Cardinal Bellarmine giveth his Opinion thus: Valdè mihi eas Epistolas esse suspectas, &c. ‘I have a mighty suspition of these Epistles: For first they seem to be repugnant to those things which we have spoken concerning the Union of S. Augustine, Eugenius, Flugentius, and other Africans with the Roman Church: And again, either there was no Eulabius of Alexandria, to whom Boniface seemeth to write; or at least there was none at that time: as is evident out of the Chronology of Nicephorus of Constantinople.